Apparatus for treating sheets



March 2e, 1935. M; FENTQ'N 1,995,382

7 v AI PARATUS FOR TREATING SHEETS I Filed Jan. 19, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

75m; MfEnZoiz a dig A TTORNEY6 March 26, 1935. R, FENTQN 1,995,382

APPARATUS FOR TREATING SHEETS Filed Jan. 19, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Fay ME i071, 7 BY ATTORNEYS.

March 26, 1935. R. M. FENTON APPARATUS FOR TREATING SHEETS Filed Jan. 19, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 I N V EN TOR. Fay /7. 76 71, 2"017 ATTORNE 5.

March 26, 1935. MFENTQN I I 1,995,382

" APPARATUS FOR TREATING SHEETS Filed Jan. 19, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 A TTORNEYS March 26, 1935.

R. M. FENTON APPARATUS FOR TREATING SHEETS Filed Jan. 19, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 IN VEN TOR.

A TTORNEYS Patented Mar. 26, 1935 UNITED STATES APPARATUS FOR TREATING SHEETS Ray M. Fenton, Youngstown, Ohio Application January 19, 1931, Serial No. 509,563

2 Claims.

' This invention relates, as indicated, to methods of and apparatus for treating sheets, and refers specifically to a method of and apparatus. for treating sheets of sheet metal such as are made by well known rolling mill operations.

Metallic sheets as produced by present day rolling mill practice may, and frequently do, have small areas of relatively slight imperfections which prevent the sheets in which such imperfections occur. from being sold and used as first-class finished products. Numerous attempts have been made in the prior art in the way of the development of methods and apparatus for treating such sheets to remove such slight imperfections and to convert high grade, secondclass material into first-class material, commanding the top notch price in the market.

As is well known to those familiar with the art, sheet 'metal as made by. present rolling mill processes have secured thereto a layef of scale,

or like material, which must be removedbefore the sheet may pass to or through the subsequent operations in its manufacture or use. 7

It is among the objects of my invention to provide a method of and apparatus for treating sheet material having all of the above named desirable characteristics. Other objects of my invention will appear as the description proceeds. To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointedout in the claims.

' The annexed drawings and the following description set forth in detail certain mechanism embodying the invention, such disclosed means constituting, however, but one 'of various mechanical forms in which' the principle of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawingsz.

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of one form of the apparatus comprising my invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation. partly in section of the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an end view of an apparatus similar to that illustrated-in Fig. 1, but embodying a modification of such construction; Fig. 4 is a side elevational view partially in section of the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 3;. Fig. 5 is a side elevational view, partially in section of a further alternative form of construction of the apparatus comprising my invention; Fig. 6 is a plan view of the-sub-structure of the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 5; Fig. '7 is an end elevational view', partially in section, of the apparatus illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6; and

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 5.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, and more especially to Figs. 1 and 2, which disclose the simplest form of construction of the apparatus comprising my invention, it will be noted that such apparatus consists of a table 1 which has associated therewith and rotatably mounted'thereon, rolls such as 2 and 3- about which endless belts, such as 4 and 5 respectively, are trained to lead sheets to and. carry them away from the apparatus comprising my invention, supported on the table 1, now to be described.

The apparatus mounted on the table 1 and a which is designed to accomplish the finishing of the sheets, consists of laterally spaced housing members '7 and 8 which have journaled therein, pinch rolls such as 9 and 10 which engage the sheet as the same is introduced to and discharged from the apparatus. The housings 7 and 8 are in pairs on opposite sides of the table 1 and are interconnected by longitudinally extending housings such as 11 in which are journaled a plurality of rolls such as 12 which extend transversely of the table land are preferably parallel to the pinch rolls 9 and 10. The housings 7 and 8 have journaled therein a shaft 13 which may be provided with a sheave 14 adapted to receive the driving belt or belts for such shaft. Mounted coaxially on the shaft 13 and secured thereto is a drum 15 which serves as a means of support for an inflatable resilient annular tire member 16, which may be provided with suitable form of inner tube 17 for the reception and retention of air, or like fluid under pressure. The element 16 is, in effect, a huge tire such as is commonly employed on the running gear of motor driven vehicles and, encompassing such tire or annular element 16 is a band 18 of flexible, preferably nonresilient, material which shall have secured to its outer periphery, a layer of finely comminuted grinding material.

In the operation of the hereinbefore described device, the sheets are fed through the machine intermediately of the resilient annular member 16 and the rolls 12 so that the sheets in being moved through the machine under the influence of the pinch rolls 9 and 10 will be held on forced against the action of the rotating web l8.carrying the abrading material depending upon the direction of web rotation. The tangential velocity of the resilient element 16, i. e., the web 18, will be such that as the sheets are moved through the apparatus. a high polish will be imparted thereto and all imperfections removed from the surface thereof. It has been found that a tangential velocity of the web 18 of approximately 5,000 to 6,000 feet per minute is desirable to accomplish the best results. x

Instead of employing a single resilient element, such as the tire-like member 16 of the structure disclosed in Figs. 1 and 2, which serves the dual purpose of supporting and driving the web 18 carrying the abrading material, I may prefer to utilize the apparatus most clearly illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4. This form of construction is substantially identical to that illustrated inFigs. 1 and 2 insofar as the construction of the table 1, the pinch rolls 9 and 10, and other associated mechanism is concerned, so thatlike reference numerals will be employed to designate like parts in this modified form of construction. The only change made in this modification resides in the provision of vertically extending laterally spaced housings 19 and 20 in which are journaled the shafts 21 and 22. The shaft 22 has coaxially mounted thereon and secured thereto a drum such as 23 and the shaft 21 has an annular inflatable resilient member 24 secured thereto by means of a drum such as 25. The construction of the drum 25 and the annular inflatable element 24 is similar to the construction and function of the element 16 illustrated and described in connection with Figs. 1 and 2. I a

The vertically extending housing members 19 and 20 have journaled therein transversely extending idling rollers such as 26 and 27. An annular web of flexible, preferably non-resilient material'28 is trained about the drum 23', the idler rolls 26 and 27 and the resilient annular member 24. This form of construction has been found advisable where difficulty has been encountered in properly maintaining the web such as 18 directly on and in communication with the entire outer periphery of the annular member such as 16 illustrated in Fig. 2.

Otherwise the construction of the modification illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 is identical with the construction illustrated in the previous figures. The material is passed through the apparatus preferably in the same direction and the tangential velocity of the operation of the previous figures, so that, as the sheet metal such as 29 is passed through the machine, the surface in contact with the web 28 will be properly treated in the desired manner.

In connection with each of the above described forms of construction, rollers such as 30 may be employed in communication with the opposite paired pinch rolls 9 and 10 which rolls 30 are in contact with the sheet during the operation of the device and due to the pressure exerted theresubstantial degree, however retaining the underlying principle of construction, namely the employment of inflatable resilient rotating means in communication with an endless web having an outer coating of abrasive material for the purthe abrasive bearing web 28 willbe the same as that indicated in connection with pose of urging such web into intimate contact .with the sheets of material passing through the apparatus for the purpose of imparting thereto the desired finish. However, the apparatus illustrated in these last-named figures operates on a somewhat different principle and employs somewhat difierent features of construction which will be best understood by having reference to such figures and the following description. The construction illustrated in these last named figures constists of end frame members 33 which support the super-structure of the machine presports a work-supporting'table 36 which is preferably provided on its under face with a plurality of electro-magnetic coils such as 3'7 which may be energized during the operation of the machine for the purposes hereinafter more fully described. The table 36 is preferably made of a plurality of laterally adjacent longitudinally extending separable segments which may be assembled and disassembled at will to'vary the width of the table to accommodate the same to varying widths ofmaterial to be treated. The substructure supporting frame member 34 has journaled therein rolls suchas 38, 39 and 40 about which an endless flexible belt or web 41 will be trained in the manner most clearly indicated in Fig. 6. The idler roller 40 is preferably adjustable in the manner indicated in dotted lines in this figure, so that variations in the length of the endless web 41 may be accommodated and such web maintained tightly upon the rolls about which the same is trained. The super-structure of the apparatus supported on the end standards 33, has journaledtherein, spaced axles such as 42 and 43 upon which are coaxially mounted the drums 44 and 45. A transversely extending, but vertically adjustable shaft such as 46 is carried by the super-structure of the apparatus and to this shaft 46 is secured a roller 4'7.

The-super-structure of the machine, as most clearly illustrated in Fig. 8, has transversely extending frame members such as 48 and 49 mounted thereon to which are secured the laterally directed bracket members 50 and 51 which extend longitudinally of the machine. The bracket members 50 and 51 have respectively secured thereto shafts 53 and 54. The shafts 53 and 54 carry a plurality of axially spaced inflatable wheels such as 55 and 56, 'thewheels 55 occupying coaxial positions on the shaft 53 spaced relatively coaxially of the shaft 54. The wheels 55 and 56 are similar in their construction to inflatable landing wheels sometimes associated with heavy air eraftalthough it will be noted that the specific form of construction of such wheels may be modified to accommodate the same to the requirements of the particular installation without departing from the principles of my invention. The form of construction of the wheels such as 55 and 56 is believed to be sumci'ently well known to those familiar with the art that a furtherdetailed description and illustration of such construction is unnecessary.

An endless flexible, preferably non-elastic, belt such as 57 is trained ab'out the-drums 44 and 45 and 47 and the wheels 55 and 56, and due to the adjustability of the drum-47 as, most clearly illustrated in Fig. 6, such web may be maintained with the proper amount of tension for the eflicient It has been found that by regulating the operation of the apparatus as hereinafter more fully explained.

The super-structure of the machineadjacent the opposite ends thereof has associated therewith pinch rolls such as 58 and '59 which function similarly to the pinch rolls 9 and 10 disclosed and described in connection with the previous figures for feeding the material to the apparatus and discharging the same therefrom. The apparatus will have associated therewith at the receiving and discharge ends, transversely extending rolls such as 60 and 61 which have trained thereto endless conveyor elements 62 and 63 which support, the sheets in passing to, and from the pinch rolls 58 and 59.

The operation of the apparatus illustrated in Figs. 6, 7 and 8 may be briefly described as follows. The sheets to be treated are carried up to the machine by the movable endless conveyor 63 and the end of such sheets introduced to the pinch rolls 58. These pinch rolls will then feed the sheet intermediately of the endless webs 41 and '7. The energization of the electro-magnetic coils 37 associated with the work-supporting table 36 will pull the metallic sheets into intimate contact with the moving conveyor belt 41, so that the same may carry such sheets through the apparatus. The sheet 64 is shown positioned directly under the inflatable wheels 55 and 56 which press the abrasive-carrying belt 57 into intimate contact with such sheet, so that, upon relative movement of the web 57 and such sheet 64, the upper surface thereof will have imparted thereto the desired finish. In order that there will be no possibility of the forward end such as 65 becoming elevated and engaged by the downwardly directed portion of the web 57 immediately thereabove and traveling at a relatively high rate of speed which would damage not only the sheet, but the abrasive-carrying belt, I propose to introduce the sheets such as 64 and 66 in slightly overlapping relation so that the forward end of the sheets 66 will maintain the rear end 65 of the sheet 64 from becoming lifted against the rapidly movable web 57. When movement of the web 57 is opposed to sheet movement, a reverse overlapping arrangement of the longitudinally adjacent ends of the sheets-assists in discharging said sheets from the left of the machine through the pinch rolls 59, so that at this end of the apparatus, the forward end of the sheet will not have a tendency to dig into the web 57 carrying the abrasive compounds.

By employing the above described apparatus in the manner indicated, the inflation of the tires carried by the wheels 55 and 56 may be controlled by conduits extending thereto coaxially with the shafts 53 and 54 on which such wheels are supported, so that the proper pressure may be maintained within the tires on such wheels at all times, and accordingly the pressure between the endless web 47 and the sheet thereunder ac-.

curately controlled. The staggered arrangement of the wheels 55 and 56, as most clearly illustrated in Fig. 8, permits a relatively wide sheet. or sheets to be treated in one passage through the apparatus without the. employment of a single excessively wide and extensive drum such as has been illustrated and described in connection with the previous figures.

As the width of the sheets to be treated varies, it will be advisable to vary the width of the worksupportlng table 36 accordingly, so that the abrasive-carrying web 57 will not come in contact therewith and deteriorate when not covered by l the sheet passing through the apparatus.

tangential velocity of the endless web 57 which carries the abrasive compound for treating the sheets, the desired finish of the sheets passed through the apparatus may be achieved. I have found that for most. eflicient operation of the apparatus the tangential velocity of the web 57 should be in the neighborhood of approximately 5,000 to 6,000 feet per minute. This relatively high velocity of the abrading web will produce an effect which is not truly'a pure abrasive action, but which actually forms a thin f or superficial layer of metal on the sheet .which preserves the same from deterioration to a certain extent.

When a single machine or apparatus of the class described is employed, such apparatus may be adapted to be employed forvarying uses by simply altering the quantity and quality or size of the abrasive grits which are secured to and carried by the outer periphery of the web such as 57. I have found that by varying the size of the abrasive grits, the hereinbefore described apparatus may be employed to advantage for the purpose of removing scale from the surface of, the sheets passed therethrough while, when relatively fine grits are employed, the apparatus is designed primarily as a polishing or finishing machine to produce first-class metallic sheets having a relatively high finish.

I propose to employ a plurality of apparatus such as illustrated in Figs. 6, 7 and 8 in tandem and providing successive machines with different grades of abrasive material on the webs thereof so that sheets to which scale is-adhering and which have other defects may be passed successively through the several machines having such varying grades of grit on their treating webs so that from such run, a sheet having a'high A finish may be quickly and expeditiously produced. A further description of the principles comprising my invention is believed unnecessary for those familiar with the art, suflice it to say that numerous changes may be made in the apparatus hereinbefore described, and the method for which they have been designed, without departing from the principles of my invention. It will be noted that numerous changes will be made (in the several specific forms of construction herein described and, further, that while such constructions have not been described in detail, it is believed that they are sufliciently well known to those familiar with the art so that a more detailed description thereof is unnecessary.

It will be understood, of course, that although the material referred to in the foregoing description treated by the apparatus and method comprising my invention has been'referred to as sheets, specifically metallic sheets, it will .be apparent from an examination of such apparatus and a thorough understanding of the method comprising my invention, continuous strip steel may likewise be treated with advantage in the above described manner.

terial, may have a certain amount of residual The only difference being in the continuous passage of the material magnetism and in order to remove such magnetism, or in other words to demoralize the sheets or strips as they are discharged from the table or achine, I propose to pass such material through any common form of the demagnetizing apparatus which may be of suitably laminated core built up of relatively thin sheets of material and provided with the, coils placed in slots arranged at right angles to the direction in which the material travels.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the mechanism-herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

I therefore particularlypoint out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. In apparatus for treating sheets, the combination of a magnetic'table, an endless web for supporting and conveying sheets across such 

